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“See ya kiddo,” he winks slowly as he steps away from me, my heart stuttering in my chest as my brows pinch and dig into my forehead. Confusion laces my face, my lips part to speak but I can’t even string a sentence together.
What the fuck just happened.
I watch as Conrad walks out the door, my eyes not leaving his back until it shuts behind him. As soon as he is out the door, my eyes glide across to see Riggs standing there, eyes pinned to mine as if I am the only person in his world. My heart thumps. Breaking away, I look towards Harlow who is looking over her shoulder at me and grinning.
Have I missed something?
What the fuck happened in that restroom?
Riggs begins walking over towards me, with each step that brings him closer, my heart thumps that little bit harder.
“Come with me?” he asks, and he seems nervous as he places a hand inside his jean pocket, the other resting on his hip before it lands at his side.
“But…” I mutter but he shakes his head from side to side.
“No buts, leave with me? Take my hand and let me show you the goddamn stars Aspen Warren,” his lips slowly break into a smile, his perfect white teeth bearing and his dimples prominent on his beautiful face.
“Show me the stars,” I whisper as he holds his hand out for me to take, and I do. Gladly.
Riggs opensmy door and I climb into the cab of his truck, nerves swarming me. But the good kind of nerves. The good kind that let you know that this moment is going to change your life forever. He slips in beside me and turns to look at me, the glee in his eyes is evident, his beautiful green eyes sparkle.
“You ready to go Dinks?” My heart aches.
“I am,” I roll my lips and drop my face as I smile, my eyes in my lap.
He starts the engine, the rumble of his truck the only noise I can hear and I am grateful that it has silenced my thumping heartbeat. Pulling out onto the quiet roads, the radio kicks in andForever After AllbyLuke Combesbegins playing. My skin tingles as anticipation suffocates me. I know this route like the back of my hand, even after years of being gone, I could find Crooked Valley blindfolded.
I turn to look at Riggs as he pulls off the road and onto the dirt track that takes us across to the look-out point. He seems nervous. One hand is gripped with his fingers wrapped round the steering wheel, the other moves from his thigh, to his mouth before he changes to resting his elbow on the centre armrest and pressing his thumb and index finger to the side of his face.
“What happened between you and Conrad?” I ask, trying to break the tension that is crackling between us.
“Just a little talk,” he admits, a small sigh passes his lips and I wonder if he is telling me the truth.
“About?”
He turns to face me and gives me a cheeky smile, his dimples on show once more and I feel my heart skip a beat. I have missed his beautiful smile. I haven’t seen his true smile much since I have been back.
“Stepping on toes,” he snorts a laugh as he averts his attention back to the road and I smirk, settling into my seat and looking out the window at the clear night sky for the duration of the journey.
Riggs pulls into our old spot and cuts the engine. Silence fills the once music filled car and suddenly I feel awkward. I unbuckle myself, twisting in my seat to face him.
“So,” I lick my lips, trying to stop the pull of a smile gracing my lips.
He turns to face me.
“So,” he chuckles and unbuckles himself, “shall we go and see the stars?” he asks and I can feel the once innocent Riggs seeping out of him and it makes me giddy. Spending time with Riggs was my favorite thing in the world, apart from riding Blossom of course, but he was my best friend. We did everything together and coming out to Crooked Valley to see the stars was alwaysourthing.
Until it wasn’t.
I hardly saw the stars back home in LA because of how bright it was, but I missed it. Every time there was a clear night sky and I was lucky enough to see the stars, I wondered if Riggs was looking up at them too. I somehow felt connected to him through the stars; the constellations a map of my heart that only he could see. Riggs Rivera was my very own constellation, the prettiest of them all.
“Let’s see the stars,” I beam as I excitedly open the truck door and move to the flat bed. Riggs rummages about in the back of the truck before he comes out with two blankets and lays them down on the bed.
“I wasn’t prepared for this…” he runs his hand round the back of his head, then lifts his cowboy hat on top.
He passes me a blanket and I climb onto the bed of the truck, laying it down then taking the other from Riggs as I lay them side by side.
“This is perfect,” I smile, kneeling on the soft blanket and waiting for him to join me. He groans as he steps up onto the truck, kneeling next to me as he wraps his finger around my wrist, lifting it to his lips and placing a soft kiss on my pulse point. I feel myself relax.
